Bridle-bit



(No Model.

0. A. READE.

BRIDLE BIT.

Patented Aug. 26, 1890 H CharZesiffiaade UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE.

CHARLES A. *READE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

BRlDLE-BIT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 435,189, dated August26, 1890.

Application filed July 29, 1889.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES A. READE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Ohicago, Cook county, Illinois, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Bits, of which the following is aspecification;

The object of myinvention is to provide a simple and economical bitwhich is capable of being readily taken apart and put together, andwhich shall be provided preferably with an easily-adjustable tongue-barand rings large enough to keep the bit-bar out of the horses teeth.

In the drawings, Figure 1 represents aplan view of my improved bit; Fig.2, a side elevation of one of the rings; Fig. 3, a plan View of thetongue-bar removed from the bit; Fig. 4, a View of one end of thebit-bar partly broken away to show the tongue-bar; Fig. 5, a similarView, showing the screw; Fig. 6, a sectional view of Fig. 5, looking inthe direction of the arrows, showing the groove for the expansibletongue-bar, and Fig. 7 a a plan View of a modified form of bit-bar.

A is the bit-bar; B, the rings; 1) b, screws for holding the rings inplace, and C the tongue-bar.

In making my improved bit, I first make the metallic bar A of suitablelength and diameter and preferably curved, as shown in Fig. 1, and tothe ends of this I attach the rings B B. These rings are preferably madeof metal and of a circular form, as shown more particularly in Fig. 2.They may be made solid or with open work, as desired, and are preferablycurved outward to afford room for the horses head. These rings areprovided at the center with a square socket, which fits over the ends ofthe bit-bar, which is made square to receive them, as shown in Fig. 4-,and are then held in place by means of the screws Z) Z). It will be seenfrom this construction that the rings maybe easily taken off in order tochange the bit-bar or to cover it with rubber, or for any other purpose.

I next make, preferably of metallic rod or wire, the tongue-bar C. Thisis bent somewhat in the shape of a letter U, as shown in the drawings,and has each of its ends formed with a triangular cross-section providedwith Serial No. 319,128. (No model.)

notches for the purpose hereinafterset forth. The front sides of theends of the bit-barare provided with grooves or slots, into which theends of the tongue-bar fit. In order to insert this bar the screws 1) bare first removed and the tongue-bar compressed, bringing the two endsclose together. These ends are then inserted into the inner ends of theslots in the bit-bar, and the resiliency of the tonguebar forces theends into the slots. The screws Z) I) are next screwed in, and theteeth, engaging with the notches formed on the ends of the tongue-bar,hold the same firmly in place. If it be desired to remove thetongue-bar, this process is reversed, the screws 1) b are taken out, andthe tongue bar then removed by pressing its ends near enough together toallow them to clear the inner ends of the slots in the bit-bar.

In Fig. 7 I have shown a modified form of bit-bar, consisting of atubular piece of metal of a properdiameter and length and provided atthe ends with shoulders and screw-threads, as shown. In thisconstruction I dispense with the screws 1) h and provide the rings withscrew-threaded sockets on their inner sides, by means of which they arefastened to the ends of the bar A. It made in this way, the tongue-barmight be held in place by its expansive force solely, or its edges mightbe notched, as formerly described, so

as to engage with and be retained by the screw-threaded socket of therings.

The advantages of my improved bit are its simplicity and the ease withwhich it can be taken apart and put together again; Although I haveshown these rings as circular, and have claimed them as such, I do notwish to be limited to that form, as they might be square, hexagonal,octagonal, or any other form that would answer the above purpose. Bymeans of this construction I obtain all the advantages of the formerstyle of bits without their disadvantages. For instance, the tongue-barcould be extended to form a double curb-bit, by means of which the horsecan be readily controlled without injury to his mouth, such as resultsfrom the use of the old W and double-wire bar-bit, &c.

I claim- The combination of abit-barhavinggrooves tongue-bar andretaining the same in place, in its forward sides, rings detachablyconnectsubstantially as described. ed with the ends of such bar, and anexpan- 1 sible tongue-bar adapted to be compressed to CHARLES READE' 5allow the ends thereof to enter such slots and W'itnesses:

to be forced therein by the expansion of the GEORGE S. PAYSON, tongue-bal', and means for engaging with such HATTIE A. FARNHAM.

